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Massive fire still raging in Jerusalem

A massive fire burning since the morning continued to blaze Wednesday afternoon in the capital. Some 60 firefighter units, aided by nearly a dozen aircraft, were deployed to contain the inferno, which threatened the Givat Shaul neighborhood and Har HaMenuchot cemetery.

The Jerusalem Fire Department reported that it had succeeded in containing the blaze in several crucial areas, halting the blaze’s encroachment on a number of residential buildings. No injuries have been reported.

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“With tremendous effort and at great personal risk our firefighters have managed to contain the fire across all fronts and to halt its spread, preventing serious harm to residents in nearby neighborhoods, as well as public buildings and industry,” said Jerusalem Fire Department District Commander Eli Peretz.

The Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, Route 1, was shut down on Wednesday due to the blaze near the entrance to Jerusalem, but has since been reopened. A number of roads within the capital were also closed, including Kanfei Nesharim, Akiva Azoulay, Menachem Haftzadi, and Mageni Yerushalayim.